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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29327832">Ask and Recieve</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/SuperPsychoNutcase/pseuds/SuperPsychoNutcase'>SuperPsychoNutcase</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Batman - All Media Types, Miraculous Ladybug</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Adrien Agreste Is Not Chat Noir, Alya Césaire Bashing, Bruce Wayne is Batman, Bruce Wayne is a Good Parent, Bruce Wayne must Adopt, Damian Wayne is Bad at Feelings, Damian Wayne is Robin, Dick Grayson is Nightwing, F/M, Guardian Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Jason Todd is Red Hood, Lila Rossi Lies, Lila Rossi's Lies Are Exposed, Marinette Dupain-Cheng Is a Mess, Marinette Dupain-Cheng Needs a Hug, Not Anymore, Oblivious Adrien Agreste, Post-Episode: s03 Miracle Queen (The Battle of the Miraculous Part 2), Protective Bruce Wayne, Protective Dick Grayson, Protective Jason Todd, Protective Tim Drake, She must be protected, Tim Drake is Red Robin, Uncle Jagged Stone (Miraculous Ladybug), Uncle Lucius Fox, Wayne &amp; Marinette Partnership, marinette is so smol, she's trying</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 10:54:45</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>18,331</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29327832</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/SuperPsychoNutcase/pseuds/SuperPsychoNutcase</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>All she wanted was some advice. She never dreamed it would lead to so much more.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dick Grayson/Koriand'r, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/Damian Wayne, Sabine Cheng/Tom Dupain, Selina Kyle/Bruce Wayne</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>127</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>892</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Tense</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Just pitching some ideas and seeing what sticks. I have a vague idea for where I want this to go. </p><p>By the by, the word 'rape' is mentioned, but more to with the way Hawkmoth fucks over everyone rather than the felony. None of that here. :3</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>She made another pass on the foreign rooftop, pausing her pacing as yet another gunshot went off in the night. Gotham was so different from Paris on so many different levels, and yet so similar. The gun fire and distant screaming was a rarity in Paris, but the cloying atmosphere that left the inhabitants suffocating under their own suppression was something that Marinette Dupain-Cheng had become acclimated to alongside the rest of her fellow Parisians. Hawkmoth’s reign over Paris, three years running, had defiled her once bright and happy city. Everyday she watched as her neighbors grew more reserved, more anxious, more bitter to the status quo. Like these Gothamites, the people of Paris had retreated into themselves and turned away from others. They hid their weaknesses. People were afraid to open themselves up to heartbreak and betrayal at the cost of their mental autonomy even if Ladybug would save the day. </p><p>The sudden retirement of her partner, Chat Noir, had only made things worse. </p><p>Children now went directly home after school. The sports teams and clubs were no longer safe havens to express emotion and creativity. Parisians locked themselves away and swallowed down all negative emotions until they resurfaced with a vengeance and led to their mental rape thanks to the Miraculous powered villain who hid himself away in his lair like a coward. </p><p>The city itself was beginning to suffer as well. As students graduated, they moved out of the city in search of higher education where they wouldn’t be akumatized over the stress of an impending test or troublesome paper. Business owners looked into establishing themselves in neighboring cities and multi-billion companies withdrew from the city completely. People were moving out, and no one was moving in despite Paris being the hub of artistic culture. Even parents had begun sending their kids to relatives outside the city to attend schools without the constant disruption of their education. The impact of the economic crisis to grow more obvious as time rolled on as it always has. There were less job opportunities, less places to spend money. Lack of competition made the prices go up. Once bustling social hotspots became abandoned. Her own parents had invested in a truck to make deliveries outside of Paris to compensate for the loss of local patronage which led to their lengthened hours of work. Marinette helped where she could by her commission money, praising Jagged Stone for his recommendations and consistent flow of paid projects.</p><p>Yes, things had gotten tough. Marinette could feel the strain of her responsibilities every single day. Her business, her family bakery, her schooling, and her life as a hero and Guardian of the Miracle Box. Each day was a struggle to move forward without succumbing to her darker desires to just give in and let her rage at the injustice of it all consume her, but she couldn’t. She had a duty to the Kwamis, to the Miracle Box, and to the city to maintain her level headed nature. To fail in self control would be to fail all of Paris, and the very balance of the universe. Until Hawkmoth is defeated and the Butterfly and Peacock Miraculous are returned to the Box, there would be no rest in Marinette’s near or distant future. </p><p>That is why she was in Gotham, for the city was protected by one of the most brilliant minds in the world. A detective that lurked in the shadows and was not restricted by laws or jurisdiction. The infamous Batman and his team were as elusive as they were competent, responsible for the takedown of several mobs, skin trades, drug cartels, and mad villains that threatened their city and the world. </p><p>Not to say that the other members of the illustrious Justice League were anything to sniff at, but Marinette had tried that route when she only just emerged in Paris as the spotted heroine known as Ladybug. The harsh rejection of Hawkwoman still appeared in her dreams as she was denied even an investigation as ‘such a catastrophe surely would appear on our radar, now stop wasting our time’. A heroine she may be with the wellbeing of an entire city resting on her slender shoulders, but Ladybug was but a teen beneath her crimson mask and a soft hearted one at that. One rejection was enough. </p><p>So why was she even entertaining the idea of approaching one of the most formidable and fearsome of the Justice League, the one who was rumored to have a plan for the containment and defeat of every member of the League should they ever go rogue? Well, she wasn’t there for him per say. Lord no. Her plan was to approach one of his team and simply ask for advice. That’s it. Just some advice on how to unmask a villain and discover their identity without revealing her own at the same time. </p><p>But now that she was here, the plan was looking a lot more ridiculous than it had in her room. "Why did I think this would work? They'll probably kill me on the spot! Or laugh me back to Paris! Or kick my butt! Or laugh at me then kick my butt!"</p><p>"You need to calm down, Marinette." A little red Kwami resembling a Ladybug spoke in a low, soothing tone. "If you feel threatened, you can always just Portal back home. Besides, Batman has a no kill rule."</p><p>"Tikki, you know better than to use my name! I'm NightMare right now." Kaalki's darkened glasses were perched on her nose. Her blue black hair had turned white in the transformation and the coloring had transferred to the tight bodysuit. Her forearms were encased in white gloves that matched the knee high slightly heeled wedge boots both streaked with electric blue. An electric blue waist cinch sat above two overlapping white belts making an X shape low on her belly and back. Her bangs were held out of her face in a French braid that transitioned to a high ponytail that fell much longer than her natural hair, down to the waist. She wore the Horse Miraculous as the darker suit blended better in the night and to make a quick escape should her encounter with the resident heroes go south. She was also sporting the other Miraculous save for the Rabbit's which was safely tucked away in a hiding spot. Marinette had taken to wearing at least three Miraculous at once and had created little hidey holes around her room where the Miraculous would rest. She didn't like the thought of having someone capable of breaking into her room and swiping all the Miraculous like Hawkmoth had done to Master Fu. The Miracle Box was little more than decoration at the moment.</p><p>Wyazz, the Turtle Kwami of protection, floated close by Tikki. "I must agree with the Guardian. There are too many unknown variables. We can't trust them."</p><p>"Nonsense! As keepers of peace, they will be more than willing to assist in the aid of a villain's downfall." Pollen chipped in happily as she playfully chased Orikko in the air. </p><p>Plagg giggled manically from above Night Mare's head. "Or they could decide you're useless and lock you up in the insane asylum."</p><p>NightMare tensed and released a frightened squeak. Tikki swatted at her counterpart with irritation. "You stinky sock! Stop terrifying the poor child!"</p><p>"Yeah, she's doing that all by herself." Trixx tittered from beside a reserved and aggravated Longg. </p><p>The Dragon Kwami heaved a stained sigh. "Guardian, you said you needed help. We've come all this way, so why not just ask? The worst they can do is say no and any aggressive movements can be circumvented by Porting back to Paris."</p><p>Plagg zipped in close to the heroine's face. "Or they could yank off your glasses and throw you in a pen with the Joker!"</p><p>Marinette shrieked at the mere thought of having to face off against a madman like Joker. Tikki rammed her tiny body into the Black Cat and growled in warning. "One more comment out of you, Stinky, and I'll toss you off the roof. Mari… NightMare, do try to calm down. Batman would never do something like that, nor would he allow any of his team. You'll be fine."</p><p>Stompp huffed and jerked his head much like an ox. "You promised yourself that you would say least ask, and a Guardian always keeps her promises."</p><p>Mullo rose to Marinette's defense. "If it really makes you uncomfortable, we can always come back and try again."</p><p>"Or you could always try that email thing. You don't have to face them physically." Daizzi, the Boar Kwami, happily offered her thoughts.</p><p>Barkk, the Dog, patted Marinette's shoulder. "We're already here, Guardian. It's not like they'll kill you."</p><p>"Yeah. They might subdue you and make your their sex slave!" Plagg laughed madly at Marinette's wail and anxious despair.</p><p>Tikki glared at the Cat. "Pollen." At her name, the Bee stuck the Cat with her Venom. As Plagg began to plummet towards the floor, Tikki head-butted him over the side of the building. The five floor drop wouldn't hurt him and Pollen's Venom would wear off in a few minutes thanks to the destructive nature of his own abilities. She didn't see the figures lurking on the fire escape beneath or one of them catch Plagg's body before he could hit the ground. </p><p>Sass flew above the others to catch Night Mare's gaze. "Guardian, if I may."</p><p>Marinette sniffled and looked at the Snake with watery eyes. "Yes, Sass?"</p><p>The green and yellow entity sighed. "The way I see it, you have only three options before you that end in victory. You can ask Batman for advice on catching a reclusive villain and use his advice to capture Hawkmoth within a year, you can return to Paris and continue fighting on your own and capture Hawkmoth on your own time, or you can build your team from the ground up and train them with what little you know to defeat Hawkmoth."</p><p>All anxiety and fear vanished under the wave of deep seated anger and pain. "I'm not giving the Cat Miraculous back to Adrien. I have made many mistakes as Ladybug, but taking the ring from Chat Noir was not one of them."</p><p>"I didn't say you should reinstate Chat Noir, I just said that you need a partner by your side. Ladybugs aren't meant to fight alone." Sass remained calm and collected under her harsh glare.</p><p>Marinette growled and tugged at her ponytail. "It's not like this is easy! All of my teammates have been outed thanks to Chloe, and my circle of trustworthy friends has shrunk dramatically thanks to Lie-la. Those left in my circle of trust were outed as heroes and are now being watched so I simply can’t give them a different one. The ring grants the power of pure destruction to anyone who wears it and I can’t just give it out to just anybody, but I can’t use it myself cause that would be putting all my eggs in one basket and I’m doing that anyway with the whole being Guardian thing and if I fail then the whole universe is doomed all because Hawkmoth is a dick!”</p><p>“Breathe, Marinette!” Tikki hovered close to her Ladybug’s face and stroked her cheek in comforting circles. “Perhaps this is just too much for you right now. Maybe we should just return home.”</p><p>Ziggy the Goat snorted. “Where she’ll shoulder the burden of Guardianship and protecting a city on her own? Sass has a point. Out of all her viable options, this one makes the most sense in the long term.”</p><p>“She made a commitment, and she needs to follow it through.” Roarr gestured to the girl hyperventilating on the strange roof. “Just look at her! She’s an anxious mess and she’s only going to get worse at the rate she’s going. Something has to give, Tikki, and the Guardian cannot fail.” </p><p>“What if this Batman isn’t trustworthy? What if he decides to take the Miraculous from the Guardian?” Wyazz, being more cautious in nature, pointed out an argument against seeking Batman’s aid. </p><p>In her anxiety ridden mind, Marinette thought it was a fair point. “Excellent observation, Wyazz. Better safe than sorry. Let’s go home!”</p><p>“Bon nuit.” </p><p>NightMare screamed in terror and flung herself into the corner of the roof to cower. “Please don’t kidnap and make me your sex slave!”</p><p>The man emitted a choked cough that sounded suspiciously like a startled laugh cut off at the throat. “Heh. I don’t know. You look pretty cute.”</p><p>NightMare screeched in horror and the masked stranger blanched and rushed to save the situation. “Wait wait wait! I was just kidding! I’m not gonna make you a sex slave!”</p><p>Another man, caped this time, heaved himself over the lip of the roof wall. “Smooth, Nightwing. Real smooth.”</p><p>Marinette jumped back with another scream, but there was nowhere to go but over the roof and down. Seeing the ground rushing towards her as she fell head first and the stress of being cornered by two strange men in a stranger city on the other side of the world was just too much for her mind to take. NightMare blacked out and her body went limp. She wasn’t aware that the hero called Nightwing had raced forward and leaned over the edge to grab her by the ankle with his cowled partner holding his other arm to keep him from falling forward. </p><p>As she was pulled back to safety, the two men were joined by three others. Their father and leader glanced over the masked girl decked out in all manner of ornaments resting peacefully in Nightwing’s arms. “What did you do?”</p><p>Red Robin was trying to check her pulse. “I think our sudden appearance and her overall stress caused her to pass out. Fucking hell, I can’t find her pulse.”</p><p>Nightwing was trying his best to contain his excitement and was beaming at his adoptive father. “Dad, can we keep her?”</p><p>Robin snarled and stepped between his sire and the older brother he was forced to accept. “Oh no! We are not taking her with us! She could be an assassin sent to kill us!”</p><p>Red Hood cackled and stroked the sleeping girl’s head. “Yeah, B. We’ll really have to watch our backs around this one. Behold her in all her vicious and lethal glory.”</p><p>Batman was staring at the girl, his cowl hiding his emotions well. “She was worrying over asking for our help and she didn't know we were listening to her. I doubt there is any nefarious intents or plots.”</p><p>Robin gritted his teeth in suppressed rage. “She was acting! She probably knew we were close by and put on a show to get close. I bet she’s faking being unconscious now.”</p><p>“Mm… I don’t think so. If she faked all that then she put a lot of trust in us to catch her. Plus, I’ve pinched her twice now and she has yet to react.” Nightwing’s fingers contracted as he pinched her thigh again. She didn't even twitch.</p><p>The youngest of the group snorted in disdain. “So she’s a better actress than you’ll ever be. I’ve been trained to fake unconsciousness and not to react to stimuli.”</p><p>“I’ll check her eyes.” Red Robin pulled a small flashlight from his array of pouches and pulled the tinted sunglasses off of the girl’s face. All five men stood frozen as a neon green light encased her head and traveled down, revealing Marinette’s identity before dying at her feet. “Oooooookay then.”</p><p>A tiny Horse like creature with a bulbous head looked Red Robin straight in the eyes with the most condescending glare he had ever seen. “How invasive of you. Are you going to strip off her clothes next?”</p><p>“What the fuck?” They couldn’t see it, but Red Hood was gaping at the tiny figure.</p><p>Plagg, the mischievous and playful Cat, chose that moment to stop pretending to be paralyzed after the power had worn off only a minute ago and flew up to Batman’s eye level. He stared at the collection of tarp and worn gardening pots. “Hey Sugarcube, these guys are listening in on us.”</p><p>Tikki’s blue eyes were like ice as she zipped up to confront her counterpart. “And you didn’t say anything?!”</p><p>The Cat sniffed. “Well I would have if Pollen hadn’t struck me with her Venom.” His toxic green gaze turned to the Bee who just fluffed her downy collar fuzz nonchalantly. “Don’t you ignore me!”</p><p>“No sign of a concussion, but other than that she isn’t reacting to the light.” Red Robin let go of her eyelid and replaced his flashlight. “Black hair, blue eyes, for all intent and purposes seems to be a hero. Anything you want to confess, Batman?”</p><p>Their leader hummed in thought eyeing the red Kwami. “Red Robin, tiny floating creatures that seem to know the girl, you’re with me. The rest of you will continue the patrol. I’ll take the girl back to the Batcave for analysis and questioning.”</p><p>Robin fumed as he looked between his father and the female curled up in Nightwing’s embrace and the floating creatures flying about. “You can’t be serious? You’re taking her back to base? We don’t know anything about her!”</p><p>“She obviously came here to talk, so we’ll talk.” Batman took the girl from a petulant Nightwing who looked none too happy about not being invited to tag along. His head tilted down so that the camera could take in all of her face. “Agent A, run a facial recognition on the girl. I want to know everything about her before she wakes up.”</p><p>“Certainly, sir.” was heard through the team’s headphones. Batman and Red Robin made their way back to the Batmobile as the other three split up to continue combing the city for criminals of all kinds.</p><p>By the time they made it to the Batmobile, everyone had heard Alfred’s puzzled sigh. Red Robin settled with the girl in the back as Batman commanded the driver’s seat. The Kwamis all huddled together near the girl. “What have you got?”</p><p>“Marinette Jiyang Dupain-Cheng of Paris, France. Approximately 16 years of age, turning 17 on the 9th of July. Attends François Dupont lycée and is the acting class president of Madam Bustier’s homeroom. Blood Type AB negative. Child of Tom Dupain and Sabine Cheng who own and run a very popular patisserie. Ah, and she is a high profile lady of talent. In the past few years, she has won a Gabriel fashion contest, had her winning derby hat debut on a Gabriel catwalk, was praised by Audrey Bourgeois for her skill, conspired with Clara Nightingale on the design of a music video in which she starred in, and is known to design anything from advertisements to clothes for the world renowned Jagged Stone.”</p><p>Red Robin gasped in the backseat, cradling Marinette with more care than he did his bo staff. “Dad, can we keep her?”</p><p>Batman didn’t entertain a response. “What can you tell me about the flying creatures that are occupying my backseat.”</p><p>The audio crackled in his ear. “I’m sorry, sir, but neither cameras nor the microphones were able to pick them up. All I caught was a flash of light that changed the girl’s clothes when Red Robin removed her glasses. Perhaps they’re a type of magic relic?” </p><p>“You could always ask.” Piped up a high pitched voice from the tiny horse that was primping her white mane. </p><p>Red Robin looked at the entity with interest. “Okay. What are you all exactly? How did her outfit and hair change when I took off her glasses?”</p><p>A turtle looking creature zoomed close to the Horse. “Oh no! We are not speaking a word until the Guardian wakes up! They shouldn’t even have spotted us! Now thanks to Plagg we…. Where is Plagg?”</p><p>“Plagg?” Red Robin imitated. </p><p>“The one that looks like a black cat and smells like a bin of unwashed socks worn for weeks by overly active athletes.” The Fox stated with a broad grin on his face. </p><p>Robin’s voice came through their headsets. “I believe the one they speak of is with me, Batman. This Cat has said that he is far more interested in exploring the city than being coped up and nagged at by his brethren.”</p><p>The Fox and Monkey laughed while others scowled at the news. Batman didn’t even blink. “Make sure he returns with you.”</p><p>Batman just knew this was going to be a long night.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Distress</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Marinette wakes up in the Batcave. :3</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Marinette awoke to see the ceiling of a cave and a hooded figure looming above her. The upper half of his face was covered, his eyes concealed behind a white protective lens. His mouth and jaw were open to her viewing and he appeared to be smiling. “Welcome back to the land of the living.”</p><p>She blinked and took a moment to evaluate the man in front of her. It looked as if his mask had a cape attached to it and traveled down to cover his neck and shoulders. “That is the ugliest mask I have ever seen.”</p><p>There was a raucous laughter to her left and Marinette turned her head to see two men clinging to each other in their mirth. The next thing she noticed was the expanse of the cave she was in and the many machines that occupied the space. It was bigger than any mall she had been to and filled with far more interesting subjects. Four floors overlooking the lowest layer that had a sectioned portioned off with mind blowing objects up to and including a giant penny and a statue of a T-rex. There even appeared to be some kind of underground river with a dock that housed a sleek and dangerous looking submersive vehicle. It was the coolest place she had ever laid eyes on hands down. It almost made up for the man’s ugly mask. </p><p>“I designed this myself, thank you very much.” The stranger deadpanned. </p><p>“If you are considering a career in fashion, save yourself the humiliation.” Marinette quipped back and tried to sit up. The stranger helped her situation herself on the examination chair. She looked down and noticed that her legs were not encased in the dark Miraculous suit. Instead, she was wearing her handmade halter top 50’s swing dress. The three buttons on either side of her abdominal muscles were the same crimson red as the polka dotted lining peeking out from the folds directly beneath the buttons. The same fabric protectively covered her decolletage from view and artfully showed off the plunging v-neck of the bodice. Climbing vines were embroidered into the black satin of the dress with scarlet apple blossoms in various stages of bloom tucking into the green thread. Her name was spelled out with the vines on the left side of the skirt and over her left thigh as she always signed her creations. </p><p>She loved the dress, but seeing it meant that she was no longer disguised as NightMare. She was sitting in this strange place as Marinette Dupain-Cheng. No mask or magic to protect her. Which meant that they knew her identity. </p><p>Suddenly it became very hard to breathe. She nearly collapsed off the examination chair if Red Robin hadn't caught her. Her chest spasmed as her lungs tried to drag in the air Her body needed. Marinette could barely make out a masculine voice shouting over the roaring in her ears. Her mind was screaming of her failure as Ladybug, as the Guardian. She couldn't protect her classmates from a liar, couldn't reconnect with her parents, couldn't find the assole terrorizing her home. Chloe was right. Lila was right. She was a monumental failure. </p><p>Then she saw her mother, smiling in that serene way of hers that Marinette always found soothing. "Bao bao, tell me five things you can see."</p><p>"Maman." Marinette gasped breathlessly.</p><p>Her mother nodded in affirmation. "Good. What else?"</p><p>Her darkened grey eyes flicked around to take in her surroundings. "Lamp. Stalagmite. Monitor. Dinosaur."</p><p>Her mother nodded. "Good. Now tell me four things you can feel."</p><p>Marinette's heart rate was dropping and breathing came a little easier. "Metal. Satin. Breeze. Skin."</p><p>Sabine blinked slowly. "Tell me three things you can hear."</p><p>Marinette had to pause. "Breathing. Beeping. River."</p><p>"Two things you can smell." Her mother was still, so calm. Marinette felt herself decompressing. </p><p>"Bleach." She had to take a deep breath through her nose. "Cologne."</p><p>Now that she was grounded in reality, Marinette could see that something about her mother wasn't quite right. "Tell me something you can taste."</p><p>She reached up and waved the illusion away. The form of her mother exploded into orange mist and curled in the air as it dispersed and disappeared. Trixx floated down close to her face. "Frustration."</p><p>"Okay, what was that?" A muffled voice came from the man wearing the ugliest helmet Marinette had ever seen.</p><p>“I take it back. That is the ugliest mask I have ever seen.” Marinette jumped at the explosion of laughter from the others, Red Robin pointing at the helmeted one with a wide grin. </p><p>“That’s enough.” The mirth died down as a tall and imposing figure stalked towards the medical bay, his cape flaring behind him and his steps silent. Batman took a rolling stool and settled into it so he wouldn't be looming over the girl. “Bonjour, Marinette. Je suis Batman. I heard you want to talk to me. Something about unveiling the identity of a villain without risking your own.”</p><p>Seeing the man in person was an experience. Marinette felt good for sure, but there was fear there as well. There was a chance that they would lock her away and try to take over the situation in Paris on their own, which would only end in disaster. They could also turn her away and leave her scrambling to figure things out on her own. He seemed amicable enough albeit intimidating, and she was already in front of him. She might as well ask. “Yeah. Um… I uh… How do you know my name?”</p><p>“Don’t worry about that for now. Your secret is safe with us. Tell me about this problem of yours.” Batman scooted closer. His voice was low and steady, gentle as to not provoke the girl into another panic attack. </p><p>Her head fell forward, her hands reaching up to cradle her head. Marinette heaved a weary sigh then chuckled humorlessly. “Two months into my Guardianship and I’ve given away my identity to strangers.”</p><p>Batman’s brow furrowed under his cowl. “Guardianship?”</p><p>The Kwamis gathered in the air around them. Tikki smiled in a friendly manner. “Guardianship of us. She was granted the title of Grand Guardian after the previous one had been compromised and cornered. It was either give up the title or lose all the Miracle Box to Hawkmoth.”</p><p>Batman bowed his head and released a sigh that radiated strain and irritation. Marinette was afraid he was about to turn her away and toss her aside like trash, abandon her like her classmates. On the contrary, he was preparing himself for what he knew would be an infuriating conversation with someone undeserving of the suffering they had endured. He straightened his spine and faced her with a placid demeanor. “Why don’t we start from the beginning. Why did your appearance change completely when Red Robin took off your glasses? What are these creatures?”</p><p>Marinette could feel her emotions draining away. Years of forcing herself to dismiss her feelings to prevent akumatazation had Pavloved her brain to shut down her emotional response when her body began to feel stressed. It was more important than ever that she resist Hawkmoth’s power as she was the Guardian of the Miracle Box. She knew it wasn’t healthy, wasn’t right, but she could worry about it later after she retrieved the Butterfly and Peacock Miraculous and returned them to the Box. “Um… okay. I am Ladybug, holder of the Ladybug Miraculous of Luck and Creation, Lady of Luck, Principal of Peace, Maker of Worlds, and counterbalance to the Cat Miraculous of Misfortune and Destruction whose Bearer becomes the Duke of Destruction, Patriarch of Pain, Sovereign of Sorrow, and Eradicator of Races.” </p><p>Red Hood lounged on another rolly chair, his arms crossed and feet propped up on what looked like very expensive equipment. “That’s quite a mouthful. Can I just call you Pixie for short?”</p><p>Nightwing kicked his chair and sent it and it’s occupant rolling away before crashing and tipping over. Red Hood’s groan was muffled by his helmet, but sound carries well in caves. “Ignore him. Continue.”</p><p>Marinette peeked over at the prone man in concern. “I uh… I was granted the Ladybug Miraculous the day that Hawkmoth debuted in Paris. You see, the Butterfly and Peacock Miraculous went missing the day that the temple they were kept within was attacked and they somehow found their way into the hands of people who would abuse them.”</p><p>“What exactly are the Miraculous?” Batman interceded before she could continue. </p><p>Marinette didn’t feel comfortable talking about the secrets entrusted to her, but she had little choice. She was trapped within a cave, four against one. They would pin her down and subdue her before she could even call on Kaalki’s transformation to escape and Portal back home. Besides, she needed help. He wouldn’t be able to help if he didn’t know anything. “The Miraculous are I guess one could say magical relics. Each piece has a concept bound to it, the kwamis who are ideas given form. The Miraculous are able to grant those who wear them power over their respective concepts… to an extent. I cannot go about creating new planets or anything. The Butterfly Miraculous grants the power of Transmutation. When used correctly, Butterfly heroes are able to grant powers to common people using their emotions as a conduit or enhance the abilities of heroes. Unfortunately, Hawkmoth solely focuses on the negative emotions of the city's population. Even something as asinine as a bad hair day can get someone akumatized and turn them into monsters.”</p><p>Batman breathed through his nose. “What does it mean to get akumatized? What is the process? How does he do it?”</p><p>“All it takes is a negative emotion.” Marinette looked over the four men with a burdened gaze. “Anger, jealousy, heartbreak, grief, humiliation, stress. Valid or irrational, warranted or not. The moment someone loses themselves in their own emotions is when they become a target for Hawkmoth’s Akumas; butterflies imbued with his power. When he senses their distress, he sends out his Akuma that will then merge with an object on or near their person and establish a mental connection with them which is marked by a glowing silhouette of a butterfly over their face. He offers them power to right the wrongs committed against them in return for the Ladybug and Cat Miraculous. They usually agree and they undergo a transformation, a transmutation, into a villain. A monster. They gain abilities relating to their source of distress that they use to terrorize the subject of their ire and citizens who just happen to be in their view. Once the possessed object is destroyed and I purify the butterfly, they revert to their normal form.”</p><p>Red Hood broke the following silence with a deadpan tone. “So basically everyone in Paris is fucked.”</p><p>The poorly attired man was punched in the arm as Marinette coughed out a single laugh of surprise. “Yeah. I guess we are. The first Akuma was actually a classmate of mine. He was feeling upset and heartbroken over the fact that he couldn’t gather up enough courage to tell a girl he liked her all while another one of our classmates picked on him for it. He was akumatized into Stoneheart, a giant made out of stone, and wreaked havoc on the city. School ended early and everyone was sent home. That’s when I found the earrings in my bedroom.”</p><p>Batman held up his hand to stop her. “Found them? You mean the previous Guardian broke into your room to leave a magical relic for you to find?”</p><p>She looked at the floor, her face red and burning. “Yeah. Seeing Tikki for the first time was a huge shock. She told me I was chosen to become the latest Ladybug and defeat Hawkmoth and retrieve his stolen Miraculous.”</p><p>The shrouded vigilante’s air left his lungs in a loud whoosh as if he had been struck in the chest. “That was the first time you had ever encountered the Miraculous? What about the Guardian? Did he offer you any kind of training before he unleashed you onto the streets wearing an object of power?”</p><p>Her face burned hotter. Marinette could feel his disapproval. “Uh… Not exactly. I didn’t even officially meet the old Guardian until… I think six months into my time as Ladybug and only because I discovered that Adrien had um… borrowed his father’s book from his office which turned out to be the Miraculous Grimoire. Tikki told me that the Guardian would need to see it, so I took it to him but then a day later Adrien’s dad pulled him out of school for stealing his book and he even got akumatized for it because it’s like his inspiration book. I had to return it because Adrien is my… Adrien was a friend and I didn't want him to be locked away in his house again, so Master Fu took pictures of the all the pages in the book and I finally returned it but now I realize that I should have kept it because now the partially decrypted book on his tablet was stolen when Hawkmoth located and stole the Miracle Box at the time and now I’m back to square one again only now I don’t have a team or my partner and I don’t have any clue what I’m doing.”</p><p>She realized that she had begun to hyperventilate in the face of a burgeoning panic attack. An oxygen mask was crammed against her face and the sweet gas filled her lungs. Red Robin rubbed soothing circles into her back until she calmed down enough to continue. “To be honest, I didn’t really want the earrings at first. I thought that I was completely unsuitable for such a title. I even messed up really bad when I first used the Miraculous. I didn’t know that I had to purify the Akumas after the possessed object was broken and the one Akuma multiplied into several dozens and Ivan got akumatized again. I had tried giving the earrings to my best… someone who I thought would be a much better hero than I could, but she wants to be an investigative journalist and was wandering around the danger zones for footage and got herself into a spot of trouble. I put the earrings back on and just assumed the roll permanently.”</p><p>The air was heavy and silent as her words were digested and processed. Where Marinette was anxious, Batman was utterly furious at such irresponsibility at burdening a teenager with the life of a hero. She was unprepared for such a lifestyle and the previous Guardian hadn’t even trained her. She said she hadn’t even met him officially until six months as the city’s protector. Half a year she was left on her own to figure out heroism, a life she tried to turn down. Even Hal freaking Jordan had training, both military and from the Green Lantern Corps. But Marinette… all she had was a Kwami. And a Partner. “Who was your partner?”</p><p>Her muscles were growing sore from being tensed for so long. The memory of Chat Noir’s forced retirement was still fresh. “Chat Noir had received his Miraculous the same day I got mine. He was just as new to it as I was. You see, the Ladybug and Cat Miraculous are two balancing forces. You cannot have one active without the other. It would throw the balance of the universe off. Anyway when I first met him, he was so excited for the opportunity. He supported me and believed in me even when I didn’t believe in myself. He was such a great partner.”</p><p>“What changed?” Red Robin asked softly from his place at her side. </p><p>She flinched. “Everything changed. He developed feelings for me. He claimed that he was in love with me and that we were destined to be together since we wore the Ladybug and Cat Miraculous.”</p><p>Nightwing snickered sarcastically. “I’m sorry, what? That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. By that logic, I could put on the ring and become your soulmate.”</p><p>“I’m gonna wager a guess and say that you did not return those sentiments.” Red Hood rolled past on another wheeled chair, fingers linked over his chest and his feet scuttling him along the smooth cave floor. </p><p>If she weren’t so stressed, she would have giggled at the picture he made. “You would be right. I had feelings for another boy at the time, Adrien Agreste. Who turned out to be the hero who was pursuing me as Ladybug but didn’t spare me a thought as Marinette. I felt like such an idiot when I pulled that ring off his finger.”</p><p>Nightwing moved to sit on Marinette’s other side. He swung a comforting arm over her shoulders. “You wanna tell big brother Nightwing all about it?”</p><p>She knew she shouldn’t, but they were the best detectives in the world. That’s what she told herself anyway. It felt good talking to people, real people and not ageless Kwamis, that believed her. “A boy in my class and the son of one of the fashion moguls that inspired me to become a fashion designer. I didn’t like him at first. My bully since childhood had been bragging about how her best friend would be coming to school and I just knew that anyone who was friends with Chloe was not to be trusted. My first encounter with his was when I saw him standing over my seat with a fresh wad of chewed up gum stuck to it. The next day after school, when Stoneheart was defeated and Hawkmoth officially declared war on Paris, he confronted me outside of school. He apologized and explained the situation, how Chloe had stuck her gum on my seat and he had been trying to pick it off. He said he wanted to be friends. He was very kind and humble. I had the biggest crush on him. Planning our marriage and number of children kind of crush. It’s infuriating and embarrassing that I lost my damn mind over such a stupid boy.”</p><p>Red Robin laughed in a manner most self deprecating. “Oh sweet summer child. I could tell you stories.”</p><p>Marinette tugged on her pigtails and found that the ties had come loose. She pulled her hair free of the elastics to fix later. Her hair fell to her mid back. She always told herself she would get it cut, but she was always busy with something else. “Chat Noir…. Adrien… he was such a different person wearing the mask. As Chat Noir, he was ready and willing to sacrifice himself to protect everybody in Paris. Adrien protected people too, but he protected the wrong people. Chloe has been his friend since childhood. I guess that he would know her better than anyone in class, but that shouldn’t have excused her behavior. One time, she announced that she would be moving to New York with her mom and the entire school threw a party. We were all so happy that she would no longer be around to terrorize us that we celebrated. She was just that awful.”</p><p>“Holy shit.” Red Hood mumbled under his breath. “There’s someone out there even worse than Demon Spawn.”</p><p>She shook her head. “Adrien scolded me for being so happy. Said that she was a good person deep down and she was just hurting.”</p><p>Red Hood piped up again. “Well fuck him. She made you feel like shit and you had every right to be happy that she wouldn’t be around to bully you anymore.”</p><p>Marinette smiled sadly. “Thanks. Adrien was right though. I know she has a good heart deep down. Deep, deep, <i>deep</i> down. She was actually one of my temporary heroes. Completely by accident! I… um… I dropped the Bee Miraculous while fighting her akumatized mother who was given the power to turn people into glitter statues that slowly broke apart over time. She actually announced herself as Queen Bee in front of several witnesses and later a freaking news camera. I used her two more times mostly because she knew how to use the Bee Miraculous until I finally got up the courage to tell her that she couldn’t use the Bee Miraculous anymore because her identity had been compromised. That’s not to say that she didn’t do a good job as a hero. I had planned to give her the Dragon Miraculous when both her parents were akumatized, again, but then I saw Kagami and Adrien about to kill and I got jealous because I couldn’t think straight when it came to that boy and I gave the Miraculous to Kagami even though her identity had been compromised too and that led to Chloe siding with Hawkmoth and becoming Miraculous Queen and outing all of my temporary heroes and Chat Noir just wasn’t taking no for an answer so I had to strip him of the Cat and…!”</p><p>Batman clasped a gloved hand over her mouth. He waited until she had regained her breath and his own temper had been reigned back before pulling away. “Things are getting jumbled and you’re getting off track. From start to finish, summarize what has led you to my city.”</p><p>A distant roar of an engine distracted Marinette and drew her attention to the darkened tunnel. The three boys groaned and grumbled though their leader remained still. Red Robin crossed her arms and leaned over the railing overlooking the bottom floor. “Wonderful. Robin is back from patrol.”</p><p>Sass mirrored his posture. “Plagg had better be with him.”</p><p>Hearing the name of the Black Cat, Marinette jolted upright. “What do you mean Plagg should be with him?”</p><p>The Kwamis shared a nervous look among themselves. Tikki stewed in aggravation as she answered her Holder’s inquiry. “You were unconscious when Batman decided to bring you here. Plagg had wandered off with Robin before you were even in his car.”</p><p>Dread began to overtake all other emotion and thought as Marinette contemplated the disasters that could befall the city with the concept of destruction on the loose. “And you all let him?”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Assimilate</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Plagg and Robin enter stage right.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Robin had gained a new friend in the tiny Cat creature during his patrol. The entity called a Kwami had much to say about the few criminals he had come across and promptly subdued. Some of the Cat’s phrases had even pulled a rare laugh out of the stern boy. By the time he was returning to base on his motorbike, Damian had grown attached. It didn’t hurt that he already had a soft spot for animals, and this one could talk and fly. </p><p>Being attached to the Cat Kwami, he protected the creature from the strange girl’s fiery gaze. She was speaking in French of which Damian was grateful Father had forced him to learn. “Plagg, you wretched thing! What in the world were you thinking going off on your own like that?”</p><p>“He only wanted to explore my city, which you are intruding upon.” Robin snapped at the tiny, waifish girl that looked as if a stiff wind would knock over despite her defiant eyes. Damian was certain that he could drop her embarrassingly fast should she make any move to attack. The threat lay in that strange flash of magic that changed her appearance entirely and what it meant for his family. </p><p>Those brilliant blue orbs flicked up and down his suit and she pulled back as if appalled. “Why are you dressed like a traffic light?”</p><p>Jason’s high pitched screech echoed off the walls and Robin saw him lean over a rail as if he could no longer hold himself straight. He couldn’t see his face, but Damian knew it was twisted in delight. Dick, on the other hand, seemed rather put out that she had insulted the colors he had chosen all those years ago. Damian felt no nostalgia over the colors he was forced to wear under the Robin title and had done his best to tone down the blaring bullseye that the colors used to be. “It is a tradition.”</p><p>Her eyes narrowed on the yellow lining of his cape. “So is the Spanish Bull Run. Just because it’s tradition does not mean that it’s not stupid. Aren’t you reliant on stealth seeing as you patrol at night? What’s with the yellow? It’s an eye catching color that draws attention. Or are you the distraction so that Batman can more effectively sneak up on the target and beat them up?”</p><p>Robin sneered at such a dismissive comment. As if she knew anything. “Maybe I want to draw attention. I’m always eager to show my superior skills to those who would break the law.”</p><p>Plagg giggled within his palms. “Mighty confident in yourself, kit.”</p><p>The girl sneered. “More like arrogant.”</p><p>With a laugh, the Cat flew up from Damian’s cupped hands and settled on his shoulder. “Arrogance implies overestimation of one’s abilities. I’ve seen him in action and he has plenty to be proud of, Grand Guardian.”</p><p>Damian couldn’t help the small smile that tugged on the corners of his lips. It was always nice to hear someone else validate his hard earned skills. </p><p>The girl’s eyes were drawn back to Plagg. “Don’t think that you’re going to distract me from your little escapade. You know you’re not allowed to go off on your own, and for very good reason.”</p><p>Nightwing raised his arms like a schoolboy. “Um, why just Plagg in particular?”</p><p>Looking back, the stranger pointed at the Kwami perched on Robin’s shoulder. “Remember what I said about the Ladybug’s counterpart? The Duke of Destruction?”</p><p>A tiny red figure that resembled a ladybug was glaring at the Cat. “Plagg is the concept of destruction and ill fortune. There is more than one occasion in which he has spread both unintentionally which resulted in catastrophic consequences.”</p><p>“Oh, cause one mass extinction and no one ever lets you forget it!” Plagg cried in offence and floated up to settle into Robin’s wild hair, arms crossed and pouting like a toddler told ‘no’.</p><p>The girl sighed and stepped into Damian’s space to reach for the Cat. Robin stood frozen as her scent invaded his senses. Vanilla and fresh baked bread interlaced with a floral note, maybe an orchid, with a hint of something greater. He could feel her soft touch in his locks as she scooped up Plagg. “I know you don’t mean it, but yours is the kind of power that requires self discipline and control and you tend to get easily distracted by your own stomach.”</p><p>Batman eyed the tiny, green eyed creature with newly acquired awareness. </p><p>Red Robin slid up from behind the girl and swung a comforting arm over her. “Now that the baby bird has returned to the nest, why don’t you go over exactly what’s been happening in Paris.”</p><p>They gathered near the super computer with Red Robin at the helm, Damian paying special attention to the array of animal themed Kwamis that floated around. The girl, Marinette he learned, sat on a chair that Nightwing had courteously offered. Batman took charge of the interrogation as it would be easier than allowing Marinette to ramble and get off track. "Let's start with this villain, Hawkmoth. What are his strengths and weaknesses? What's his motivation?"</p><p>Marinette fidgeted within the seat. "His motivation is claiming the Ladybug and Cat Miraculous. As for his strengths, he is able to essentially give people super powers according to their skills or reason behind their distress. Like making the loser of the junior weather girl competition into a villain that could manipulate the weather or turn a boy into a dark Cupid that could turn love into hate. His weakness is that he doesn't truly have control over the Akuma he made. They are still their own person, but I have ascertained that he keeps them in line by threatening to take their new powers away. The only time he cut off the connection himself was during a Scarlet Swarm, but I think that might have had something to do in his end."</p><p>“Why the Ladybug and Cat Miraculous?” Red Hood inquired. “Why not the entire set?”</p><p>The girl looked very uncomfortable. “When someone combines the Miraculous of Creation and Destruction, they are essentially able to… well… they can make a wish. Basically. They have command over the universe and can rewrite one of it’s truths.”</p><p>There was a moment of silence among the group until Jason released a stupified whistle. “Wow. That’s… wow.”</p><p>Bruce was far more weary of such a proclamation. “The ability to rewrite a universal truth. Impressive. What’s the catch?”</p><p>Marinette shifted in unease. “Creation and Destruction. Life and Death. Give… and Take. The power of Creation will give the wisher what they want, but the force of Destruction will take something of equal value. Like if someone you loved had died and wished them back to life…”</p><p>“Someone you love would take their place.” Dick finished, slumping in shock. “Even if, say, the people had died years ago?”</p><p>Marinette nodded, “The wish would just create a new timeline where your wish is the truth. However, the universe will punish the person who made the wish. Not only will they lose something of equal value to what they asked, but there will also be a kind of backlash. I know that the Black Plague is one of those punishments by the universe for daring to change its laws.”</p><p>Red Robin held up two thumbs up. “Understood. Wish bad.”</p><p>"And what is a Scarlet Swarm?" Batman prodded. </p><p>Marinette frowned at the ground. "It's when I believe Hawkmoth Akumatizes his partner into an Akuma that can enhance his abilities. Where usually he can only create one Akuma at a time, the Scarlet Swarm creates several dozen. It's only happened twice so far and it stopped just before anyone was Akumatized. I was one of those victims, so I'm super lucky that the connection just dropped."</p><p>Red Hood clicked his tongue in thought. "Shouldn’t you be more mindful of your emotions with an asshole terrorist able to capitalize on them?"</p><p>Marinette's downtrodden visage twisted into an angry sneer. "Well, I had just gotten expelled over planted evidence and the claims of a liar and everyone just believed that little psychopath. Excuse me for one slip up."</p><p>Red Hood gaped in surprise. "Hawkmoth sent a Scarlet Swarm over that? What was the first occasion, a traffic jam?"</p><p>Red Robin, on the other hand, was mad on her behalf. "You should sue that school. It's illegal to expel a student on the spot like that."</p><p>Batman raised a hand for silence. "What was the first event that preceded a Scarlet Swarm? What provoked an entire city’s emotions to vulnerability?"</p><p>The girl shuddered. "Paris had hosted our first Heroes Day to celebrate the heroes of Paris, both magical and not. An illusion of an Akumatized Ladybug killing Chat Noir with his own power was broadcasted live all for Paris to see. It caused a mass panic."</p><p>Damian's instincts twitched in suspicion. "An expulsion at one school is vastly different from the city-wide hysteria of seeing someone killed by a trusted public figure."</p><p>Nightwing, kneeling next to Marinette, addressed her with a gentle kindness that always saw results. "I’m sorry you had to go through that. It must be awful having to confront Hawkmoth’s illusions."</p><p>She sniffed irritably. "No no. Hawkmoth doesn’t have the power to create mirages. Only the Fox can do that.” Her blue eyes flashed and her voice grew faint. “Only the Fox… and one of his Akumas.”</p><p>Damian watched a Dick processed this information. “Well, then facing that Akuma must have been a nightmare while dealing with so many others at the same time.”</p><p>No, I…” Those bluebell orbs flickered as her mind raced to draw connections that she never had time to see. “All the Scarlet Akumas were ones that I encountered before and I never came across Volpi… Volpina. She's the only Akuma able to create illusions like the one on Heroes Day, but I never even saw her."</p><p>Batman got back on track. "You mentioned a partner. Who is Hawkmoth's ally?"</p><p>"Mayura, wielder of the Peacock Miraculous. That one grants the Holder the ability to give a strong emotion physical form. The stronger the emotion, the stronger the Sentimonster. She's been showing up more and more often since the Miracle Queen incident when Hawkmoth stole the partially translated notes of the Grimoire. Also my fault, so that's on me." She answered in a distracted tone. Marinette was lost within her brilliant mind as it strained to come to a conclusion that she would not like.</p><p>"I see." Bruce Wayne was deeply troubled by this news. This was obviously a situation that required discretion and restraint. How has it gone on for so long? Why hasn't the League heard about it yet?</p><p>Nightwing smoothed down Marinette's dark hair. "Don't blame yourself. None of this is your fault. Hawkmoth is the one stirring up trouble."</p><p>No one could ever accuse Damian of being too forgiving. "Don't coddle her! She's taking responsibility for her failures which is a great load more than most people we know."</p><p>Red Robin enveloped her into a hug. "Don't you say that to her! She didn't ask for this!"</p><p>"No, he's right." Marinette pulled away from the man's embrace. "I may noy have asked for it, but I accepted the Miraculous and later the Guardianship of the Miracle Box. By accepting them it means to accept the burdens and responsibilities of those titles.”</p><p>It felt good to be right though the look on his Father’s face soured Damian’s mood. With that rare small smile that spoke of pride and affection, Damian could practically see the adoption forms being filled out in his Father’s head for this strange girl who hit all of the criteria for his adoptees. “And you wouldn’t entrust just anyone with the Miracle Box?”</p><p>She shook her head vehemently. “Of course not! The Miraculous are powerfully objects that can grant powers to anyone that wears them. Who could I trust to protect them and not abuse them for personal gain? I may not be the best Guardian, but at least I’m not going around handing them out to anyone who stops to spare me the time.”</p><p>“Well, you’re not an idiot. That’s a good thing.” Red Hood slouched against the side of the computer. “What happened with your partner? A smart girl like you has to know that you can’t fight against this kind of douchebag yourself.”</p><p>Marinette winced and her heart ached. “I… I found out who was behind Chat Noir’s mask. Master Fu told me that we couldn’t share our identities with anyone, not even each other. It would be too dangerous.”</p><p>“Wouldn’t knowing each other’s identities make it easier?” Nightwing scowled at the thought of setting up a teenager to face a terrorist. “We know our identities and we help each other all the time. Not only can we provide better cover stories and alibis, but we lean on one another when things get really bad. Like don’t let his gruff nature failure fool you, but Red Hood is one of the best people to talk about your feelings with.”</p><p>“Shut up.” Red Hood snapped in good nature. Nightwing stuck out his tongue and Red Hood replied by flipping him off. </p><p>Marinette could feel the trust and camaraderie between these men and it made her a little jealous. “Hawkmoth is able to turn people into puppets when they get upset, even if it’s over something completely stupid like a bad hair day. If one of us succumbed to our emotions and got akumatized, we would know who to go after. There was actually a future where Chat Noir did get akumatized and it led to the destruction of the world. So I guess it really is better that he doesn’t have the ring anymore.”</p><p>Red Robin made a strangled coughing sound. “I’m sorry. A future?”</p><p>“The Rabbit Miraculous of Time.” Marinette explained nonchalantly, as if the power to manipulate time was an everyday thing for her. “Holders are able to enter what is like this burrow, a room outside of time and space, and are able to jump into different places in time. Bunnyx…. She said that the future is ever changing. When she sees a catastrophe, she can jump to the moment in time where the actions that caused it occur and can nudge the other Holders into preventing the calamity.”</p><p>Again, the men shared a look of surprised concern. Bruce Wayne was beginning to understand the weight of the Miraculous and the burden on the lone girl’s shoulders. “All the more reason you should have a reliable team at your back. Surely learning of Chat Noir’s identity wouldn’t be enough to strip him of the ring.”</p><p>Her heart twisted in her chest. It would take time for her to recover from the heartbreak. “I knew him. I was in love with him. Adrien was… I thought he was so perfect. When I saw it was Adrien behind the mask, I was so torn up inside. You see, Chat Noir was constantly proclaiming his love for me… uh, Ladybug. He was constantly flirting and asking me out on dates despite the fact that I always turned him down because it just couldn’t work. We were partners who didn’t know the other’s identity and we had a duty to protect the city. He never seemed to listen to me when I told him that we were heroes, not celebrities.”</p><p>Nightwing beamed, “That’s very mature of you. There are a few heroes I know that took a while to learn that lesson.”</p><p>Marinette smiled back, though hers was tainted by her sadness. “It was an accident. I was wandering the rooftops as Ladybug to escape the stress of my life as Marinette when I saw Adrien in an alleyway talking to a tiny floating cat. I realized immediately just who he was and I… didn’t know what to think. I had a crush on Adrien that had been slowly dying for a while. It was almost like the universe had given me one last chance to be with him. Then I remembered that while Chat Noir loved Ladybug, Marinette was just a very good friend in Adrien’s eyes. He didn’t see Marinette in any kind of romantic light. I knew that if I confessed my identity to him he would have been overjoyed, but only because he liked Ladybug. It was like… how could he love me when….”</p><p>“It’s only one part of you.” Batman finished in a soft tone of understanding.</p><p>“Yeah.” She sighed. Marinette smoothed out the wrinkles in her skirt. “I went home and spent the rest of the day torn up inside. I kept going back and forth with myself on whether or not I should take the ring away. I could just pretend I didn’t know his identity and he could never learn mine as I’m carrying more than just the Ladybug Miraculous. The next day at school, I was still on the fence about his future as my partner. I was so busy all of yesterday arguing with myself that I had forgotten that Jagged Stone had planned to drop my name in an interview over the weekend.”</p><p>Red Robin clapped his hands. “I remember watching that interview! Jagged Stone went on for like ten minutes about his favorite designer. He showed off that wicked cool jacket you made and said it was hand embroidered! It was awesome! The one with the fire breathing crocodile with the holographic thread! Man, I want something that cool!”</p><p>Marinette blushed under his admiring stare. “Everyone at school thought so too. I was swarmed when I got there with people congratulating me and bombarding me with questions about what it’s like to work with Jagged Stone. I finally got to class and was hailed with even more praise from my classmates. That is until Lila waltzed into class and began spewing this bullshit story about how she was so glad that Jagged had taken her up on her suggestion and took me on as his go-to designer. All of sudden, everyone began thanking her for my achievement. That I earned.”</p><p>“I would have shot the bitch.” Red Hood nonchalantly spun one of his guns on his finger. “Do you want me to shoot the bitch for you?”</p><p>Marinette snorted then sagged again. “I called her out on it immediately only to have everyone jump down my throat. Alya said I should be grateful that Lila had deigned to help me after I had been so mean to her since she transferred to school. Adrien, who knows what a foulmouthed liar she is, just… stood there. He didn’t do anything or say anything to defend me. He just stared at me with this stupid pleading look begging me to take the high road. It hit me then that I couldn’t trust him. If he was willing to stand by and let a girl lie and manipulate our class into hating me, how could I trust him to have my back as Ladybug. All of a sudden, I was hit with the memories of when he was just so… petty! I remember we had an argument during the Syren Akuma attack when all of Paris was flooded. I had been visiting the Guardian and even gave out the first Miraculous to aid in the take down of an Akuma. He was upset that I wouldn’t let him in on the Guardian’s secrets even though they weren’t mine to tell and I was commanded not to tell him. He threatened to sit out of the battle. God, I was so mad!”</p><p>Plagg hissed and thrashed his tail. “I’m still sore over that. You know, he actually tried to relinquish the Miraculous because you wouldn’t indulge him? I had to sweet talk him just so he wouldn’t up and throw my ring into the ocean.”</p><p>Marinette froze up. Her head fell back until she could look up at the Cat. Her face was as blank as a doll, but her eyes burned with hurt and anger. “He… would have… abandoned me to an Akuma that was able to put all of Paris underwater, and killed most of the population, because I wouldn’t share a secret that wasn’t mine?”</p><p>“Yeah, but I stopped him from doing that. And all those other times he got all pouty that you rejected him, too.” Plagg saluted the Guardian with a tiny paw. “You’re welcome.”</p><p>Red Robin and Nightwing both encased the too still girl in a tight hug. Nightwing was particularly angry at the disloyalty of someone she relied on so heavily. Red Robin was just mad at the unfairness of it all. “That bastard.”</p><p>Red Hood had been pondering over the aforementioned name, seething really. “Lila. You mentioned her earlier, right? The one that became Volpina who was able to cast illusions? What’s her story?”</p><p>Marinette knew she shouldn’t have been so surprised at the news of Chat Noir’s near resignation, but it still hurt. Red Robin had to nudge her back to the present where he asked the question again. “Yes, Lila Rossi. The bane of my existence and the textbook example of a pathological liar. Her mother works at the Italian embassy in Paris as the diplomat’s secretary. I checked. She transferred into my class in May, the end of school, and started lying the second she set foot on Parisian soil. She targeted my bes… my once best friend, Alya, who runs the Ladyblog to brag about how she and Ladybug were best friends.”</p><p>Red Hood and Red Robin both let out poorly suppressed chuckles as Robin just rolled his eyes so hard he damn near saw stars. “What kind of imbecile announces themself to be best friends with a hero in public?”</p><p>Jason was far too amused by the tale. Angry that this tiny wisp of a hero that looked like she could be his sister had to deal with her, but entertained at the sheer stupidity of such a monumentally stupid act “I fuckin’ dare her to come here and lie about being my best friend. She wouldn’t last until sunset before she got kidnapped and tortured by one of the madmen in this city.”</p><p>Marinette didn’t even react. “Adrien had found the Miraculous Grimoire in his father’s office and brought it to school with him. I saw Lila steal it from him. I’m not proud of it, but I followed her and watched her buy a pendant that looked like the Fox Miraculous and then meet Adrien at the park after tossing the Miraculous Grimoire in a rubbish bin. She proceeded to lie and claimed that she was descended from the Fox Heroine Volpina and how the Fox hero was better and far superior than the Ladybug. I got really mad and transformed so that I could call her out as Ladybug.”</p><p>Nightwing scoffed and stroked her head soothingly. “Hmpf! What bullshit. ‘I’m best friends with a hero while also being better than them in every way.’ God, I hope she visits Gotham and tries that same shit.”</p><p>His father pinned him with a stern glare of disapproval that Marinette didn’t see. “She was akumatized into Volpina and we defeated her. She ran off, I guess to lick her wounds. Summer passed and school started up again, but she didn’t come back. I learned later that she had told the school that she was in Achu helping Prince Ali with an anti-pollution charity that she helped him create.”</p><p>Red Hood threw up his hands and walked away. Red Robin was almost of the same mind. “I’m sorry, what? Prince Ali is known for his charities catering to ill or orphaned children, not the environment. How did she even get away with that? Did she forge notes for the school? Was she being sent class work? What the hell?”</p><p>Marinette sparked back to life with a snort of sarcastic amusement. “Considering the packet of makeup work Madam Bustier had me organize for her, I’d say not. She came back in March, missing a semester and a half of school. I… I thought she might have been in Paris, but does that really mean that she was akumatized into Volpina again? I only faced Volpina once, but I never saw that particular form after her first day in Paris. That illusion on Heroes Day does seem like a move Volpina would make, but I didn’t see her at all. And then she became Chameleon after she threatened to take all my friends away, and the way she was so smug and happy with herself when she left…. Then again, Adrien did say he confronted her about her lies, but so did I and she was still confident that she had the upper hand.”</p><p>Damian clicked his tongue. “The harlot was probably put out that her meal ticket told her that he wasn’t going to put up with her bullshit. I’ve met enough girls like that to know that being rejected would spark a tantrum.”</p><p>Her soft pink lips twitched into a smile at the thought of Lila throwing a tantrum like a toddler though it quickly faded. “That thing you said earlier… that an expulsion was nothing compared to a city’s panic and fear. It’s just… everytime Hawkmoth has ever launched an attack like that I could tell that it was well thought out, especially the first Scarlet Swarm. My emotions were so rampant that day; frustration, rage, fear, despair. Normally those feelings would have attracted an akuma. How would he have known to wait until Damocles had expelled me in front of my entire class? With several opportunities to get not just me but others throughout the whole ordeal, why go through the effort of creating a Scarlet Swarm unless he knew what would happen?”</p><p>Batman caught on to even her repressed thoughts. “Hawkmoth can only create one Akuma at a time. He would have had to have created Volpina first to cast the illusion to cause the mass panic then withdrawn it to create one to amplify his own power.”</p><p>His first son followed the logic. “You think that Lila might be a civilian aid for Hawkmoth?”</p><p>Pieces fell into place within her mind. “I want to say that no one in Paris would willingly side with a publicly recognized terrorist, but I know Lila. She didn’t express regret or shame when I confronted her about her lies and she wasn’t guilty at all when she tried to destroy my future. All she cares about is satisfying her own desires and is willing to ruin other people to achieve her goals. Lila is the kind of person who would side with Hawkmoth if it got her what she wanted.” </p><p>Nightwing breathed in through his teeth and slowly released the air from his lungs. “I can’t say we haven’t seen it before. It sucks that she’s managed to wreak havoc on your personal life. I know girls like her and they can just make life so dang difficult.”</p><p>Marinette smiled with determination. “Well if I catch Hawkmoth and take the Miraculous, that will solve a lot of my problems. That’s why I came here. I wanted to ask you all how I can uncover Hawkmoth’s identity without risking my own. I hate to bother you all with my burdens, but I’m busy enough just trying to keep up with my civilian duties and keeping Akumas from destroying my city.”</p><p>Tim was already taking control of the main computer. “It would be a pleasure to help you nail this bastard to the wall with his problem-making patsies. Let’s start with finding a pattern. When do Akumas appear? And where?”</p><p>As Marinette padded up to stand beside Red Robin’s chair, Red Hood leaned in close to Batman’s seated form. “So we’re keeping her, right?”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Now some of you may not agree with how quickly Marinette uncovered Lila's partnership with Hawkmoth, but remember that this chick figured out her friends were throwing her a surprise party because Juleka failed to hide a bike pump out of her sight. Marinette can be really smart. I figured that all the emotions of Heroes Day and that of her expulsion would have made those memories too painful to go over in her mind. By having Red Hood and Robin remark on the difference of the two situations would have made her start truly thinking about those situations. </p><p>I'm starting to think that Marinette would have definitely would have been adopted by Bruce Wayne in the DC universe. </p><p>Onto other news, the next chapter is going to be the Batfam putting together a profile and hatching a plan to help Marinette. Her phone might go off. A new Holder suggested. Maybe a partnership. You don't know. :3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Support</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A new Akuma rises and a new hero to meet it.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Who can guess which Bat boy is going to get a Miraculous, and which one?</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 4<br/>
Support</p><p>“Rich.” Tim said affirmably. </p><p>Marinette looked away from the impressively large screen. “I’m sorry?”</p><p>Red Robin gestured to the array of information in the monitor. “The timing of the Akumas suggests Hawkmoth is a reclusive rich asshole.”</p><p>The current Ladybug examined the tables and data sheets. “How did you get that?”</p><p>Red Hood leaned over her shoulder. “Easy. A lot of these Akumas occurred during business hours. There are even some attacks that started late in the evening and dead in the night. Someone with a nine-to-five would never be able to leave, commit villain shenanigans, and go back to work without someone catching on eventually. On the same hand, we can rule out government figures. It’s been like three years. Someone would have said something by now.”</p><p>“And his general indifference to the suffering of the city’s population.” Nightwing added in disdain. “Only rich douche nozzles can achieve that level of assholery.”</p><p>Damian, still in his Robin guise, pondered from his Father’s side. “Unless he can create those moths out of thin air, I’d look into purchases of butterfly farm materials made by independent figures.” </p><p>“And his partner, Mayura. She must be someone close to him. A wife maybe?” Red Robin brought up an image of the pair caught by a news camera. It wasn’t great being shot from a distance, but it was somewhat clear. </p><p>Marinette nibbled on her lip. “If Hawkmoth is wealthy, why would he even need a wish? What could he possibly want that money wouldn’t just buy?”</p><p>The members of the Bat clan stilled. She looked among their faces and saw pain and resignment. Batman’s gaze made her feel guilty. “Plenty.”</p><p>Robin broke the tension. “Hawkmoth is incredibly persistent despite the fact that his constant use of the Miraculous is destroying Paris. His mission is personal.” </p><p>Red Robin glanced up at their newest recruit though she hardly knew that. “Do you have any suspects? Like that guy who has the Miraculous Grimoire?”</p><p>She shook her head and waved him off. “Gabriel Agreste was akumatized over that book. He pulled Adrien out of school. I had to give it back.”</p><p>Red Robin’s brow furrowed. “Well he’s a rich asshole, so he stays on the list.”</p><p>A Jagged Stone signature riff sounded from Marinette’s pocket, because of course she made pockets in her dress. She fumbled with the device, nearly dropping it twice, and blanched at the screen. “Oh no. What time is it in Paris? Crap, it’s like 7 over there. How long was I asleep here? Oh crap! My parents are asking me where I am! What do I do?”</p><p>Nightwing placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Calm down. Just tell them that you got up early cause you couldn’t sleep and you’re out for a walk to clear your head.”</p><p>She bit her lip and fussed over the phone. “I have school today.”</p><p>“Mental health day.” Red Hood flicked her forehead which was softened by her bangs. “Looks like you need one anyhow.”</p><p>A break sounded wonderful, but she had obligations. Her responsibilities as class president weighed on her. “I can’t just take a day off school. I’m still ironing out the plans for our class trip to London. I have to go over the fundraisers, approve spaces to host them, research hotspots for the class to visit, and I have to start getting my notes together for the student council meeting about the dance. Oh, and I also have to draw up some concepts for Jagged’s next suit.”</p><p>“Oh my god! Take a second to breathe.” Jason clapped his hand over her mouth to stop her chatter. “Jeez, Luckybug. Got something to prove? You know that no one is perfect, right? Overloading yourself with projects is only going to drive you nutters.”</p><p>Marinette frowned and pushed his hand away. “But the class voted for me and I feel like I should give my all to meet the expectations of the station. Plus, it looks really good on university transcripts and job applications.”</p><p>Nightwing snorted a laugh. “You design for Jagged Stone. I don’t think you have much to worry about concerning your career. By the way, didn’t you say that Leila chick…”</p><p>“Lila.” Marinette corrected impassionately. </p><p>“Lying bitch. Whatever.” The others were mildly surprised at Dick’s easy usage of ‘naughty language’ yet understood it as he loathed liars. “Didn’t you say she had turned your class against you? Why are you going through so much effort for a bunch of people who don’t even like you? A trip to London is pretty special for a class trip even when it’s just a train ride away. Why did they vote for you in the first place?”</p><p>“Well they once voted me out and made Lila class representative, but that didn’t last very long. She will do anything to get out of doing work herself, so she foisted a lot of the paperwork onto the Deputy. Little did she know that Alya makes a terrible Deputy because she’s always chasing after Akumas and updating her blog. I was voted back into office after two months of disappointing last minute plans and cancellations.” Marinette felt a hint of pride knowing just how poorly Lila had handled a position of power in which she thrived. “Say what they might, I can organize one heck of a charity fair. Did it in less than a week, too.”</p><p>Red Robin’s head spun so fast that a few vertebrae cracked in protest. “You put together a charity fair in less than a week?”</p><p>Marinette shot him a thumbs up. “Almost made €40,000 on the first day. The second day was much better, but only because I told Jagged that I was hosting a little fun fair and he could pay to throw pies at people. His presence really increased the flow of people and he got them to participate. He even autographed a few things to auction off. It was a really fun day. Stressful, but I got to throw pie at the principal, so it was worth it. Plus, we made serious bank. Just over €105,000.”</p><p>Tim stared at her through the white lenses on his mask and eventually turned back to the computer. “God, you are the perfect socialite. All the charm and none of the bitch.”</p><p>“Sounds to me like those pricks are just using you to get nice shit.” Red Hood claimed plainly and without reserve. “They won’t even spare a thought that the new girl might be full of shit, but they’ll happily take whatever they can get from you all without even playing at being your friend. Assholes.”</p><p>Plagg cackled as he danced along Robin’s arms. “Oh, they are definitely using her. I’ve seen enough greedy fakers to know what they act like.”</p><p>Robin sneered at the girl. “So they’re obviously using you for your connections and the things you can do and create. Why don’t you just drop the dead weights and focus on building your career?”</p><p>Marinette thought back to the Rabbit Miraculous and how Bunnyx had been found within that stone pillar at the museum. Knowing the Alix had held it for so long meant that she must hold it in the future. “It’s… I can’t just turn my back on them. They were all once my friends. The way they’ve been acting… I know they are not mean hearted people. I swear to Kwami, it’s almost like Lila has a superpower that makes everyone believe her lies. It has to be a superpower. Her stories are too wild and unbelievable for anyone sane person to trust.”</p><p>“She doesn’t.” Trixx shook his head sadly. “Unfortunately, humans tend to hear what they want to hear and ignore unpleasant truths. To see her lies for what they are now would mean that they would have to admit to themselves that they have placed their faith in their wrong person. To admit her mistruths would mean that they turned their backs on a friend for someone who is most decidedly not.”</p><p>Marinette stared at the floating Fox. “That does not make me feel better.”</p><p>Nightwing hovered over her the way a mother hen coddled a chick. “It’s okay to take a step back and focus on yourself. Staying in a toxic environment where you don’t feel safe is only going to hurt you in the long run.”</p><p>“I can’t. One of my classmates I know for a fact is going to be a Miraculous Holder in the future. I need to be around her so I’ll know when she’s ready.” Wringing her hands, Marinette worried over the future of Bunnyx. Transformed, future Alix had looked anything from her mid twenties to early thirties. She seemed to have experience with the Rabbit Miraculous, but that gave no hint as to what age she was finally given the pocket watch. She could be ready anytime from a month to another year. </p><p>Batman rubbed his chin absentmindedly. “So there is someone you will come to trust enough to give her a Miraculous and you don’t want to risk losing that future ally by abandoning them to a liar.”</p><p>“I know it’s confusing, but she is the wielder of Time. Eh… will be. Eventually. The Rabbit kind of watches the time stream. If anything big and catastrophic happens, she’ll do what she can to prevent it. She’s more of the ace in the hole, contingency plan. I’d love it if she could make an appearance and just explain it all in detail,” Marinette spoke more to the air than to the boys, “but she has this whole disturbing the timeline thing and she only ever shows up to prevent something huge. I’ve only seen her twice: once when Hawkmoth had created a time jumping Akuma in the future who came back to beat younger me and to stop me from apparently revealing my identity to Chat Noir because it led to his eventual akumatization. Oh god, I just realized I would have revealed myself to Adrien over a stupid fifth naming day present. That jerk definitely started dating me because I was Ladybug. Did. Would have.”</p><p>Red Hood squinted at the tables of times on screen. “Always nice to have a contingency plan. At least she stopped it from happening.”</p><p>Marinette’s phone went off, but in a more high pitched and alarming tune. The girl sagged and released a tired groan that all five recognized. “God fucking damn it, Hawkmoth. It’s too early for an Akuma. Don’t you ever sleep?”</p><p>“Language.” Batman reprimanded lightly. “Red Robin, can you get a visual on Paris?”</p><p>A few taps of the keyboard and they could see news footage of a new Akuma fighting against a woman Marinette knew. “Mom? Is that Alya? Oh Alya, you should know better than to challenge my mom to a fight. Oh no. She pulled out the monk’s spade. Maman means business.”</p><p>Sure enough, Sabine Cheng was expertly fending off a villain dressed in a mockery of Indian garb with the ferocity of a hungry tiger. Alya had three extra sets of arms and was still struggling to keep up with Marinette’s mother. “I am Karma and I will see Marinette punished for what she did to Lila!”</p><p>“Oh, what outlandish story did that liar make up about me this time?” The blue eyed girl glared at the screen only to sag and sigh. “I guess I’m off then. I need to go take care of this before it gets out of hand. Tikki, Spots On. Tikki, Kaalki. Unify.”</p><p>A flash of light revealed Ladybug and another created Lady Mare with a dark gray corset over her bust and mid abdomen and matching dark thigh high boots and elbow gloves in the same dark shade. Her bangs were braided back into mid back pigtails that were tipped with white. Marinette learned that the horseshoe boomerang was not so much a boomerang but a chain and horseshoe shaped sickle. She could use it much like she could her yoyo, but it was a bit more dangerous. The blade was very sharp. </p><p>“Be sure to come right back when you’ve finished with Kali-wannabe over there. I want to see if we can get a general area of where Cockmoth’s lair might be by pinpointing where all the Akumas first emerged.” Red Robin squinted at the monitor.</p><p>Marinette, now Lady Mare, stretched her arms above her head. “Yeah, sure. I’m already taking a day off school. I have time.”</p><p>“Um, Guardian?” Roarr gestured to the array of jewelry on her person. “Against an opponent with multiple arms, it would be easy for her to snatch one or two. Maybe you should think of a place to hide them first.”</p><p>Nightwing hummed in agreement. “Good point. Why don’t you go ahead and leave the ones you don’t need here?”</p><p>Lady Mare stared at the man with suspicion. Robin Hood rolled his eyes and assured her they weren’t going to make off with them. “They’ll still be here when you get back.”</p><p>She fidgeted and peeked at the news feed. “Well, I don’t know which one I’ll need. Sometimes an Akuma calls for another Miraculous. I can’t just use Kaalki to jump between here and Paris. She’ll get exhausted.”</p><p>Dick glanced at the struggling Akuma, mentally acknowledging that the girl’s mother had excellent skills on par with Damian’s mother. “Do you know if you’ll need another Miraculous? This one might be pretty straight forward.”</p><p>Marinette shook her head. “I’m not so sure about that. I don’t know what kind of abilities Alya might have this time around. And I have her previous experience as a hero to worry about, so that’s nice.”</p><p>Robin gawked in derision. “<i>She</i> was one of your temporary heroes?”</p><p>Marinette stomped her foot. “Alya used to be my friend! I thought she was someone I could trust and then Lie-la showed up. You should have heard her when she came upon me as Ladybug and began whining about how unfair it was that she couldn’t be Rena Rouge anymore because…!” An idea struck into Marinette’s mind. She touched the Fox pendant on her neck and felt the power of Creation nudging her head to the side. Standing there, arms crossed and looking like the picture of condescending defiance, was Nightwing. He was the oldest of Batman’s team and supposedly his first student. </p><p>He caught her gaze. “What?”</p><p>The Fox Miraculous was warm under her gloved fingertips. “How good are you at needling a person into a blind rage?”</p><p>“I find it’s one of the best ways to get the upper hand against an opponent.” He arched an eyebrow beneath his dark mask. “Why?”</p><p>Marinette slowly, hesitantly, lifted the necklace over her head. “Alya used to be the Fox heroine. She has been particularly nasty ever since I told her that she couldn’t be Rena Rouge anymore. She proceeded to post an article on the Ladyblog about how Rena Rouge was one of the best heroes and calling for her comeback. I think that the sight of a new Fox might be enough to put her off kilter and give me the advantage.”</p><p>Trixx giggled in delight and zipped through the air, playfully circling Nightwing. “I don’t know, Guardian. This one might not be mischievous enough to be one of my kits!”</p><p>“I’ll have you know that my favorite pastime composes of mischief and shenanigans.” He responded with a smirk only to adopt a more humble air as he gazed down at the tiny Guardian. “Are you sure? I know it must be hard for you to extend trust again.”</p><p>She breathed through her nose. It was hard. “I’d prefer to do this all on my own without having to rely on anyone, but I’ve been informed, most adamantly, that I can’t keep using multiple Miraculous at one time. Wearing two should only be done occasionally and I’ve been wearing at least three on my person for weeks. I’m growing tired and I can feel them draining me of my energy. I can’t keep going the way I am or it will kill me. Being Ladybug allows me to feel the strings of Fate and Luck, and I think that you would be the most suited for the Fox Miraculous. So…”</p><p>She extended her hand holding the magical relic. “Nightwing, this is the Fox Miraculous of Illusion. You will use this to help me defeat Hawkmoth and all his allies and retrieve the Butterfly and Peacock Miraculous. Can I trust you?”</p><p>Dick beamed and took the pendant with the care and respect it deserved. “I’ll gladly help you take Cockmoth down, baby bell.”</p><p>Marinette smiled with more confidence than she had felt for months. “Be fast and be flexible. Bait her until she’s frothing at the mouth and act as if she’s more amusing than threatening. Alya will be mad enough seeing someone else wearing the Fox Miraculous, but nothing makes her angrier than being critiqued and found wanting.”</p><p>Nightwing slipped the necklace over his head wearing his own eager grin. “She’ll be seeing red before I’m even done with her.”</p><p>Trixx flew to his eye level. “Alright, kit! To transform, you gotta say, ‘Trixx, Let’s Pounce.’ To detransform, say ‘Trixx, Let’s Rest.’ Your power is ‘Mirage’. Be sure to have a clear image of your illusion before you cast it.”</p><p>Nightwing stared at the tiny creature. “Activation phrase. Magical animal companion. Single magical power. Oh my god! Does that make me a magical girl?!”</p><p>Marinette’s smile dropped into a fierce scowl. “Transform or give it back.”</p><p>“Trixx, Let’s Pounce!” Nightwing smirked and the Fox was sucked into the pendant. Orange light encased his towering form and faded as quickly as it appeared leaving a new hero in its wake. His overall look was inspired by japanese anime. He who was once Nightwing wore a pure white haori tucked into pure white hakama that cinched tight at his ankles and tucked into his pure white boots. Though the fabric looked clean and pristine, orange flames could be faintly seen only when light hit them at an angle just right. The haori was open and revealed his collarbone and pectorals to the air, but a wide fox orange obi wrapped around his middle, allowing only the top of his abdominal muscles to be seen. From behind nine sashes trailed from the fold of the obi down to his feet, no doubt a nod to the tales of the Japanese kitsune. Upon only one of his shoulders sat a white cape with a fringe of white fur fluffing up on his shoulder and trailing down his back to stop at his mid calf. Tiny golden chains strapped across his torso kept the cape in place. Three more chains overlapped on the left side of his waist, and from the point of convergence dangled the Fox Miraculous. His hair too had turned white and seemed to have grown a little longer, enough for a playful ponytail to dangle over the right side not adorned by his cape. The mask encased the entire upper half of his face and was white as well as decorated much like a japanese fox mask with orange rimming his eyes and thin streaks across his cheek bones with three more falling from his hairline down his forehead and in between his eyes. “I’m going to be honest. This is not what I was expecting. Shouldn’t my suit look like yours?”</p><p>I shook my head and admired his look. “Batman and the others could all wear this Miraculous and not a single one would be the same. The appearance is partially a reflection of your own mentality of what a hero looks like. I’m going to take a guess and say that you associate foxes and illusion with Japan.”</p><p>Red Hood giggled. “So this is what a Fox hero looks like?”</p><p>He flipped him off. “Well, yeah. Kitsunes have always been one of my favorite Japanese mythological creatures and they are foxes that are known for their illusions and tricks. Did my hair grow longer?”</p><p>“Fair enough, and yes it did. Now you’ll need a name. That would make it more real for Alya.” Marinette looked up at him in excited expectation. This was always her favorite part, her team creating identities for themselves and accepting their role.</p><p>Red Robin raised his hand. “I got it! GAP! Acronym for General Anime Protagonist.”</p><p>“More like General Anime Fan Service.” Red Hood tugged on one of his tails and Marinette noticed the loop of another chain with another Fox pendant. She made a point to ask about it.</p><p>Nightwing no more beamed with pride, his now slitted bright blue eyes sparkling. “It might just be a little nod to Japanese mythology and a contingency. Did you know that the only way to truly kill a kitsune is to cut off its true tail? Now when they have only two or three, it could be easy enough to get the drop on one as generally less tails meant they were younger and, therefore, wouldn’t have the strength or experience to escape or fight back. However, When the kitsune has seven or eight tails, it becomes a little more difficult especially after you make a first attempt and catch on to what you’re trying to do. Which is reeeeally bad because kitsunes could make life a living hell. With a matching pendant tied to each of my sashes, it might confuse my enemies and make them wonder which is the real one.”</p><p>“Your bait and switch is neat and all, but I think Alya is getting away.” Marinette glanced at the screen and, sure enough, there was Alya making a run for it. </p><p>Nightwing narrowed his startlingly blue eyes. “Ooh. Name then. Um… Kitsune?”</p><p>Marinette rolled her eyes. “Sure, whatever.”</p><p>“How about Morning Mist.” Red Hood tugged on one of the chains. “Like the touch of the sun on the morning mist to clear the clinging haze so too can the Fox’s illusions be dispelled and bring the truth to light.”</p><p>Morning Mist was spoken in English and Marinette had to stop just to translate it in her head. She took a moment more just to ruminate on the title. “Morning Mist. That is so poetic. And here I am calling myself Ladybug.”</p><p>Morning Mist cooed over his little brother. “I’m not surprised in the least! Little Wing was always gifted with words. Not that you’d know it with the way he talks to people.”</p><p>Lady Mare snorted and grabbed her new teammate’s gloved hands. “Come one then. We have a false god to body slam back into reality.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>If you guessed Dick with the Fox, that's really creepy. Cool, but creepy. </p><p>I'm pondering over which Miraculous would be best suited to each Bat boy. Let me hear some opinions and reasons behind them. They might just make it into my writings. </p><p>What do you think of the name Morning Mist? :3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Visitor</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Someone makes a brief appearance.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sorry for the wait. I'm working 32 hours at a barn. It's exhausting. :3</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tim lounged and watched as the news feed caught the Akuma’s reaction to the new Fox, and the reaction of the news woman and the female onlookers. It was almost sickening how many of the Pariasians swooned at the sight of his brother. </p><p>“How are we handling this?” Damian was straight and to the point, and without any cutting quips. An improvement. </p><p>Bruce watched the screen intently. “Marinette has potential. No training yet was able to successfully contain the situation.”</p><p>“You can’t adopt this one, B.” Jason ripped off his helmet, a domino mask as a secondary precaution resting on his face. “She has both her parents and a rockstar uncle that might just fight you over custody if it ever came down to it.”</p><p>The patriarch said nothing. “Start on background checks on the Parisian elites. Focus on Gabriel Agreste. He has the Miraculous Grimoire so it’s best to start there.”</p><p>Tim was already hacking away. “Let’s hope Occam's theory holds water in this case. With those glamours the Miraculous provide, a facial scan won’t do shit. That’s even if we could get a good video of the douche nozzle.”</p><p>Alfred strolled up from behind the boys carrying two trays, one bearing a tea set with six bone white cups and another brimming with a variety of foods from all of the groups. “I come bearing black tea and some refreshments for our smaller guests.”</p><p>There were whoops of excitement from the previously silent Kwamis. Tim turned his head to watch them fly around their family butler who was more like a grandfather than an employee. </p><p>“New favorite human!”</p><p>“You’re so nice!” </p><p>“Ooooh! A honeycomb. You certainly know your way to my heart.”</p><p>“It’s not camembert, but it’ll do.”</p><p>Damian raced to catch the paralyzed Cat after he had been struck by the Bee. Demon Spawn leveled a heatless glare at the smug bug and cradled the black creature gently as he would any other animal. Tim hid a smile and caught a flash of white on the screen. He twisted his head just in time to see Dick as Morning Mist dodge a snarling eight armed girl that appeared to be in a blind rage. Bruce’s oldest was smiling as he danced out of her attacks, some only just barely missing his form. He looked as if it were all a game to him and the Akuma looked ready to combust. Ladybug was holding what looked like a red and black spotted old fashioned camera with a large flash bulb. </p><p>“Master Nightwing appears to be having fun.” Alfred casually remarked as they all watched him walk up a wall, walk up a damn wall, and leap off over the Akuma’s head and out of her grasp once again. “My my. That is a neat trick.”</p><p>“Just you wait. With a good fit like him, he’s only going to get better.” It was the Dog looking Kwami that giggled.</p><p>Jason poked curiously at the creature. “What do you mean by that?”</p><p>The Dragon elaborated. “Your teammate seems to be an optimal Holder for the Fox Miraculous. When both Holder and Kwami’s energies are synchronized, the Holder can access special abilities outside of just our Principles usually relating to the animal in which we take form.”</p><p>Buzzing happily, the Bee intruded. “Marinette is a wonderful example. Though she is but a child and therefore restricted to the amount of power she can use, Marinette has achieved a few abilities that very few Ladybug’s before her have reached. The force of Creation is always inspiring her to create new designs and Fortune tends to favor her.”</p><p>Tim stopped and twisted in his hair to peer at the Kwamis with concern. “Could this… harm Nightwing in any way?”</p><p>The Mouse blew a raspberry. “Of course not! Our Miraculous were designed to synchronize with humans to aid them in the battles against evil.”</p><p>The Turtle disagreed. “That does not mean that we cannot punish those who would abuse our power for personal gain. The moment Nooroo and Dusuu are free, I’ve no doubt that they will ask our assistance in cursing Hawkmoth and Mayura and any who followed them willingly. I will personally see to it that his whole bloodline is cursed from ever holding a Miraculous.”</p><p>“You would curse an entire bloodline, innocent children and grandchildren, because of one man’s mistake?” Jason asked in a very judgmental tone.</p><p>“Sass once had a Holder who used the power of Chance to rape a woman he admired only to turn back time so it never actually happened in the timeline. He did this repeatedly to the point where the young lady had begun to develop a paranoia about the man, her instincts telling her of what memories were no longer there. It was only when she was able to rip the Miraculous off his wrist during an assault that his fellow heroes finally caught on to what he had been doing all while enforcing Sass to secrecy. Forgive us for getting angry and punish those who cause harm with our power.” Wyazz was emitting a strong aura of suppressed anger that unsettled the men within the cave, and not just because of the tiny being’s rage. </p><p>Damian’s voice was low and even when he addressed the Turtle. “Did you kill him?”</p><p>The Tiger gave a terrifyingly happy grin. “No.”</p><p>Tim leveled a stare at the reserved Snake that was really more lizard as he had four nubs that acted as limbs. “It sucks that you had to go through with that.”</p><p>He shook his bulbous head. “Do not apologize for a sin that is not yours.”</p><p>Just then, a white hole appeared above their heads and a white and blue clad pinkette fell through holding a bag of popcorn in one hand and a soda bottle in another. A tall set of pointed faux rabbit ears were nestled in her vibrant pink locks that twitched as if they were real. She lightly punched Jason in the arm as grabbed a seat and kicked it towards the screen. “Mini-Jay! Damn, lose the frown. If you get wrinkles in your thirties, you’ll never stop bitching about it.” She gracefully jumped into the air and landed in the chair, holding out the popcorn for Tim to try. “Want some? It’s bathed in butter. Your favorite.”</p><p>Tim blinked slowly at the newcomer who behaved as if they were close friends instead of strangers. It was Batman who recalled Marinette’s earlier mention of her potential/future ally. “You must be the Time Hero.”</p><p>“Bunnyx. Less of a mouthful. How are you doin’, Gramps?” She didn’t even look away from the fight taking place on screen where Morning Mist was still toying with Karma. “Oh man, it’s always fun to see a new Hero’s debut in person. Watching it from the Burrow is fine and all, but it’s something else when you’re in the moment.”</p><p>Robin snarled at the woman and drew his sword. “How did you get in…?”</p><p>“Aaaaand I forgot just how tense you were all the time. Chill out, Damian. I’m not here to hurt anyone. In fact, I’m your spawn’s godmother. Well, to one of them.” Bunnyx shoved popcorn in her face and laughed as a swarm of reporters crowded around Karma. The illusion began throwing questions at her and questioning the validity of her blog. Ladybug took her picture and the bright flash of light blinded an already frazzled Akuma and gave Morning Mist the chance to punch the possessed object which happened to be her pendant. The punch to the throat knocked Alya clean out and Ladybug was able to catch the Akuma without issue. Her Miraculous Cure swept through the city in a wave of pink light and ladybugs and all was back to normal. Ladybug escaped the frame, but Morning Mist stayed behind to attend to the Akuma victim. The video footage changed back to reporter Nadja Chamack as she reported that everyone could return to their previous engagements. “So it begins. Man, I am so glad she finally brought you all into the fold. Now things are really picking up.”</p><p>Tim was still stuck staring at the new face in confusion. “That’s great. Um… what are you doing here?”</p><p>She munched on more popcorn. “One of you has a few questions and I just wanted to introduce myself. I don’t want your first impression of me to be of that confused and angry girl that I was around now. I was a bit of a bitch.”</p><p>Jason narrowed his eyes on her slouched form. “You can jump into any point in time. You can see into the future, right?”</p><p>“One that constantly changes, but yes.” She conceded. </p><p>Red Hood bristled, “Why didn’t you step in and stop Hawkmoth before he even started? Or warn Marinette about her shitty friends?”</p><p>Bunnyx lowered her refreshments slowly and relaxed into the seat. “I’m not going to apologize. I’ve done my groveling. As for the timeline, Hawkmoth had to happen. Marinette had to find the Ladybug Miraculous in her room. Though fucked up beyond reason, heroism has helped Marinette grow into the person she needs to be and gave her the confidence she desperately needed. I know you think she’s pretty timid and anxious now, but this is nothing compared to her before she became Ladybug. She was essentially a doormat for Chloe to bully with no friends. Everyone was just too scared to associate with her and get into Chloe’s crosshairs. Bourgeois was a mean bitch. And concerning Lila, Marinette needed that too and for many reasons. She needed to see that not everyone is a good person deep down. Even Chloe had moments where we could see she had a heart, but Lila doesn’t. Lila made her cautious. Adrien’s advice to leave Lila alone taught her that silence isn’t always golden. Lila has a silver tongue and was able to twist any situation into making her appear the victim, and this taught Mari how to pick her battles. Lie-la planted evidence on her twice and got her expelled. That taught Marinette to be observant and how to defend her weak spots. Lie-la was able to turn all of her friends against her with baseless rumors and fabricated evidence. This showed Marinette that friendship does not mean loyalty. Even Bustier’s gaslighting taught her that not all authority figures deserve their power. For much of the blight that was Liar-la, Marinette faced it all alone. And for all of her misery and isolation, Marinette has developed her skills in reading people and anticipating the worst outcomes. She has subverted three separate occasions where Lila tried to frame her again so far, so she’s gotten better.” </p><p>Jason huffed and crossed his arms. “So why didn’t you warn us about this earlier? Why let it go on for so long?”</p><p>The woman’s blue eyes flared and dimmed. “I couldn’t let any of you set sight on Paris until Adrien lost the Cat Miraculous. If you all entered the fray while Chat Noir was still active, it would have ended in disaster. Dick is a great guy and hardly ever means any harm, but his teasing would have brought out the worst in Chat and Damian’s snide comments would have pushed him over the edge. Waiting for Marinette to take the ring back and choose to approach you all on her own was by far the better option.”</p><p>Jason did not look appeased, but he resigned himself to the fact that time was fickle and sometimes people had to suffer to grow into something better. No pain, no gain and all the shit. “Whatever.”</p><p>Bunnyx reached into a pocket of her suit and flipped open a pocket watch. “Welp. I gotta go before Mini-bug comes back. I promised to babysit Mari’s little hell spawns and I don’t need to be late. Heaven forbid I cut into her date time with the hubby, and I don’t need that demon on my ass again about punctuality.”</p><p>“Please don’t pop into the Cave whenever you please.” Bruce commanded her in the tone the brokered no argument. Bunnyx laughed.</p><p> “Fair enough. Wouldn’t wanna hurt someone.” She jumped up and stretched. Leaving the popcorn for Tim, she cradled her soda and strutted past Robin and ruffled his hair as she passed. “Lighten up, kitten. Everything’s gonna work out.”</p><p>“Don’t touch me.” Damian slashed at her only for the dagger he’d pulled out to slide off her white and blue suit with nary a nick. </p><p>Bunnyx winked at the lot and tapped her foot twice. A white hole opened beneath her and swallowed the woman whole. Not long after, another portal opened up and spat out Morning Mist and Ladybug. Marinette was back in a flash of red light, but Morning Mist was bouncing from foot to foot with poorly contained energy. “Oh man! That was amazing! Everything is so much clearer and louder. I don’t even know how to play the flute, but then I did! Man, I need to run!”</p><p>With that, Dick took off to race around the cave. Chains that must have been laced at the bottom of his ‘tails’ flashed in the dim lighting as he bounded throughout the cave and whooped as he ran about like a child. Marinette giggled as she watched. She snuck a glance at Batman. “You trained him really well. If the rest of your team is as good as Nightwing, I can see why you’ve gained such an accomplished reputation.”</p><p>The dark garbed vigilante cracked a small smile. “He was a diligent student.”</p><p>Marinette accepted a cup of tea from Alfred with a gentle smile of gratitude. “I have to say he has a real talent. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Alya so angry, not even when Lila convinced her that I had lied to get out of attending her birthday party and that made her really mad.”</p><p>Tim winced at the way her voice cracked at the tail end of her statement. She tried to act casually and dismiss her pain, but betrayal hit hard. This girl, this tiny little bundle of talent and happiness, didn’t deserve any of the responsibility or misery that the universe had shoved upon her. Marinette should be building her business, hanging out with friends, preparing for her future. Instead, she has to balance academics and her burgeoning reputation as a designer all while protecting magical artifacts from a selfish prick, chosen at the whim of an old geezer who couldn’t handle the situation himself. </p><p>At least he was given a choice. </p><p>He supposed she could have relinquished the Box and all its woes unto someone else, but she seemed the kind of person who’d shoulder the suffering of others if she could. Like a little Clark Kent. Or Diana Prince. He would have to keep those two from the girl for as long as possible. “Needling is Nightwing’s specialty. People don’t think when they’re angry and it makes them sloppy. It’s a double edged sword though and someone can go from being a mere obstacle to a threat when pushed far enough.”</p><p>Marinette snorted in good humour though her mood soon soured. “Yeah.”</p><p>Mountain Mist dropped from the ceiling, a near 20ft drop, and landed silently on his feet without even a whisper of sound. He was beaming with excitement as he called off the transformation. Nightwing reappeared in a flash of light with the Fix swooping circles around his form. “Ah man! Now that was fun. I’m not even winded.”</p><p>Trixx was cackling like a half mad hyena. “You were pretty good out there! Couldn’t have done it better myself. No offense meant to your former choice, Guardian, but Alya was a little too confrontational to be a proper Fox.”</p><p>Marinette opened her mouth, paused, and promptly closed it again. Tim was certain that the girl would have defended her choice. Just what had this Alya done to lose such a sweet and honorable hero’s faith and friendship? He felt sorry for the poor girl who faced her trials and hardships all alone without succumbing to anger or grief when she had every right. Hawkmoth, the bastard, was a special kind of asshole that Tim would take special pleasure in beating down.</p><p>Batman leaned forward in his seat, his blue eyes soft on the waifish girl. “Now, let’s talk about the Miraculous.”</p>
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